Jumpstarting dead lithium batteries?

[Resqueline]

I just came across today a person that had received a new but stored-until-dead cellphone battery.
It would not take a charge the normal way, so the supplier told him to jumpstart it with 5-6Volts, which he did - with success.
This made me raise an eyebrow, and now I ask myself, and you, what is going on with the batteries in these circumstances?

We all know that the lithium technology is said to be very sensitive to both under- and over-voltage, with possibly disastrous outcomes.
They therefore usually contain circuitry to prevent over-discharge etc. Does the jump-start damage/reset this circuit or is just the chemistry affected?

Standard charging procedure is to apply a very limited current - if the voltage is under a certain limit - and only apply full current when the voltage rises to a "safe" level.
Then the upper voltage is to be limited to 4.2V - above which the battery will supposedly be damaged (at least in the long run).

Does any of you have any specific experience with this, or an in-depth knowledge of the chemistry that can explain it?

 

[GonzoEngineer]

I designed a Lithium, 4 cell charger about six years ago using the LT1512 (?)

I seem to remember reading one of their app notes on this same subject.

Check Linear.com......maybe you can find it. They have a wealth of information on charging circuits for various batteries.